Device for controlling the orientation of a boat in water

Abstract

In a boat, trimming flaps are pivotally mounted one on each side at the stern and operated by individual electric motors and screw and nut drives enclosed in housings serving as links between the flaps and the boat. The motors are remotely controlled from within the boat.

I claim: 
     
       1. In combination, a boat having a hull, a pair of trimming flaps located one on each side of the central longitudinal axis of the boat and at the stern thereof, means mounting each said flap on said hull for pivoting movement about a respective axis extending generally transversely of said central axis to different flap angles with respect to said boat, and means for moving a respective flap to different ones of said flap angles, each said moving means including a watertight housing pivotally mounted on the outside of said hull, a remotely controllable low voltage drive motor fixed to said housing on the inside thereof, a drive screw rotatably mounted in said housing and operatively connected to the motor, a nut non-rotatably mounted on said drive screw for movement longitudinally of said screw on rotation thereof, and an adjusting rod extending parallel to said screw in a watertight manner through a wall of said housing and having one end thereof connected to said nut and the other end pivotally connected to its respective flap. 
     
     
       2. The combination of claim 1, wherein a guide bush for the adjusting rod is mounted in said wall of said housing, and an elastic bellows has one end attached to the guide bush and its other end attached to the adjusting rod in a watertight manner. 
     
     
       3. The combination of claim 1, wherein a position transducer is located within said housing and is connected between one of said nut and said adjusting rod and said housing. 
     
     
       4. The combination of claim 1 together with a remote control device common to both said moving means, said remote control device having a hand operable controller movable to a respective first position in which both said flaps are movable upwardly with respect to the boat and to respective second, third and fourth positions in which the one or the other flap or both the flaps together can be moved downwardly with respect to the boat. 
     
     
       5. In combination, a boat having a hull; a pair of trimming flaps located one on each side of the central longitudinal axis of the boat and at the stern thereof; means mounting each said flap on said hull for pivoting movement about a respective axis extending generally transversely of said central axis to different flap angles with respect to said boat; and means for moving a respective flap to different ones of said flap angles; each of said moving means including a watertight housing pivotally mounted on the the outside of said hull, a remotely controllable low voltage drive motor fixed to said housing on the inside thereof, a drive screw rotatably mounted in said housing and operatively connected to the motor, a nut nonrotatably mounted on said drive screw for movement longitudinally of said screw on rotation thereof, and an adjusting rod extending parallel to said screw in a watertight manner through a wall of said housing and having one end thereof connected to said nut and the other end pivotally connected to its respective flap; a remote control device common to both said moving means; said remote control device having a hand operable controller movable to a respective first position in which both said flaps are movable upwardly with respect to the boat and to respective second, third and fourth positions in which the one or the other flap or both the flaps together can be moved downwardly with respect to the boat; said remote control device having first and second supply lines for said motors of different polarity and first, second and third relays activatable on movement of said controller to said first, second and third positions to change respective contact positions of first, second and third switches of which the first lines in a common line to one side of the motors and the second and third lie in respective lines to the other side of said motors; in their rest positions all said switches connecting said motors to one said supply line and in their activated position all said switches connecting said motors to the other said supply line. 
     
     
       6. The combination of claim 5 further including first and second diode elements coupled to said second and third relays, respectively, and oriented to permit current flow through said relays in a common direction and wherein, in said fourth position of the controller, said second and third relays are activatable by way of current flowing through the respective diode elements. 
     
     
       7. A combination of claims 4 or 5, wherein a position transducer in the form of a potentiometer is mounted in each said housing and connected to a respective position indicator in said remote control device. 
     
     
       8. For use on a boat, a trimming flap moving means comprising a watertight housing, a remotely controllable low voltage drive motor fixed to said housing on the inside thereof, a drive screw rotatably mounted in said housing and operatively connected to the motor a nut non-rotatably mounted on said drive screw for movement longitudinally of said screw on rotation thereof, and an adjusting rod extending parallel to said screw in a watertight manner through a wall of said housing and having the end thereof within said housing connected to said nut.